The Network
The Network is a secret cabal and shadow government, led by the King, who control a great deal of the world. At their height they controlled the entire planet, but conflicts between members (inadvertently caused by a time travelling Master Chief) caused the group to split up. The King tried to stop the Ancients from controlling all time periods using the Ark, but was stopped by the heroes, who misunderstood his intentions. The Network suffered severe casualties at the end of the season, and currently only the King is still alive. The Network is a reference to and parody of the Patriots, a shadow government in the Metal Gear Solid series that controls the world. Both the Patriots and the Network ended up splitting into two factions with unclear motives. History Before the series According to Cortana, the Network was founded ten years before the current series by the King. Many of the current series characters joined it and it began to peacefully control the world. However, five years ago, the Arbiter, Cortana, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden left the group when the King tried to use its world control for evil purposes; this schism caused the Network to lose its power over the world. It is later revealed that a time travelling Master Chief warned the Arbiter and Cortana about the King's villainy, inadvertently creating a paradox/time loop where the pair only leave the Network because Master Chief told them to, and he only told them to because they told him themselves. Season 1 CATS, working for the King, provokes Master Chief into joining the fray by threatening to cancel Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but is eventually stopped. Jack Thompson and L. Ron Hubbard also have solo fights with Master Chief. Eventually, Master Chief and the Arbiter fight back against the Network, killing Hubbard but getting captured by the King and Tom Cruise. Minisodes The King recruits Chad Warden, the Angry Video Game Nerd, and Chris Hansen to the Network, and forms a loose alliance with Hillary Clinton. Season 2 After a failed attempt to take over the US government, the King finishes and activates the "weapon," which is actually a portal to the Ark, a structure that can control time and space. He and the other members of the Network entered the portal and were pursued by Master Chief, the Arbiter, Cortana, and a UNSC attack force led by Sergeant Johnson. Master Chief spent a brief but highly influential period time travelling, inadvertently causing most of the main series events that ultimately led to him entering the portal in the first place, a concept known as a predestination paradox. The trio learned that the King intends to fire a laser from the Ark at an unknown destination and attempted to stop him, with Cortana successfully killing Clinton. In the season finale, the King revealed he intended to destroy Ronald McDonald and the Ancients, a rival group, but Cortana sabotaged the laser, preventing him from firing it. Ronald destroyed the Ark, causing a massive time distortion that caused many characters to become unaccounted for. Meet the Ancients In order to fight the Network, Ronald McDonald forms a group known as the Ancients. They destroy the Ark, killing every Network member but the King, and Ronald is sent to the year 44 BC. Season 3 As the only remaining member of the Network, the King uses his lack of power as leverage to get Avery Johnson to trust him, and they work together to convince the 44 BC version of Ronald to send them to the year 2020. After arriving, Ronald activates his Halo ring, creating an alternate timeline where he obtains the coordinates to Building 69 from Master Chief. After making a deal with the King, Ronald has the Ancients repeatedly shoot him. The King manages to kill the rest of the Ancients, but succumbs to another bullet from Ronald. The King is later revealed to be an AI, and steals the program from Building 69, using it to kill Ronald and prepare to conquer the real world. After a pitched battle, Master Chief realizes the only way to destroy the King is to let him fulfill his destiny, which the King does, killing Master Chief. The Voice then destroys the King once and for all. Members |- style="font-size:13px; text-align: center; background-color:#cccddd;" | Picture | Name | Role | Status | Overview |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#FF6A6A;" | | The King | Leader | Alive | The King started the Network ten years before the present in the series. He recruited many of the characters, but a time travelling Master Chief informed several that the King was evil, prompting a schism. The King failed to use the Ark to destroy Ronald McDonald, and he was on the latter's ship when the Ark exploded, being sent to the distant past. He was eventually revealed to be the chessmaster behind all events with the ultimate goal of taking over the real world, and was destroyed when he fulfilled his purpose as an AI--killing Master Chief. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#9965ad;" | | The Arbiter | Covenant Arbiter | Alive; defected | The Arbiter joined the Network, but left when a time travelling Master Chief told him the King was evil. He managed to escape the Ark before it exploded with Master Chief. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#FF6A6A;" | | Cortana | AI | Deceased, damaged by closing portal, fulfilled purpose as an AI. | Cortana joined the Network, but left when a time travelling Master Chief told her the King was evil. He also told her about the "prophecy" that she would tell him herself five years later, creating an informational time loop. She deactivated the laser on the Ark, but was onboard when it exploded. The heroes later rebooted her. She was killed when the portal to the Voice closed on her, and she fulfilled her purpose as an AI by bringing Master Chief there. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#FF6A6A;" | | Jack Thompson | Former attorney | Deceased, shot by the King; defeated by Master Chief and the Arbiter. | Jack Thompson was an attorney who joined the Network and assisted them in harassing Master Chief. He was the second in command to both CATS and later the King after the King killed CATS. He ended up suffering the same fate as his former leader when the King shot him for outliving his usefulness when he was disbarred. However, he was later revealed to be an AI, was rebooted, and challenged the heroes again onboard Installation 04, but was killed again. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#FF6A6A;" | | Tom Cruise | Actor, Scientologist | Deceased, blown up aboard the Ark. | Tom Cruise was an actor who joined Scientology when a time travelling Master Chief accidentally told him to. He rose through the ranks and eventually became the leader upon L. Ron Hubbard's death. He became the King's second in command on the Ark, and was blown up with the structure. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#FF6A6A;" | | CATS | Puppet leader | Deceased, shot by the King. | CATS pretends to be the leader of the villains during season 1, then reveals he has a leader at the end of the season. He is shot by the King for outliving his usefulness. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#FF6A6A;" | | The Angry Video Game Nerd | Video reviewer | Deceased, shot by the Arbiter. | James Rolfe, or the Angry Video Game Nerd, was recruited in the second minisode to help build the portal to the Ark. He went to the Ark with the rest of the Network, and was shot by the Arbiter in a hostage situation. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#FF6A6A;" | | Chris Hansen | Dateline NBC interviewer | Deceased, shot by Master Chief. | Chris Hansen was recruited in the third minisode to help frame Master Chief for ownership of child pornography. He went to the Ark with the rest of the Network, and was shot by Master Chief in a hostage situation. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#FF6A6A;" | | L. Ron Hubbard | Founder of Scientology | Deceased, stabbed by the Arbiter. | L. Ron Hubbard founded Scientology, partly with a time travelling Master Chief's help. He kills Xenu and assists CATS at the end of season 1, when the Arbiter stabs him. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#FF6A6A;" | | Chad Warden | Youtube personality | Deceased, shot by the King. | Chad Warden was recruited in the first minisode because he hated the Xbox 360 and Halo. He went to the Ark with the rest of the Network but was shot by the King as an example to the Angry Video Game Nerd and Chris Hansen when they failed to keep the Arbiter and Cortana captive. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#FF6A6A;" | | Barack Obama | President of the United States, former Senator | Deceased, beaten by Hillary Clinton. | Obama joined the Network, but left when a time travelling Master Chief told him the King was evil. He was elected President of the United States, but then sacrificed himself to Hillary Clinton as a distraction to let the other heroes escape the Network. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#FF6A6A;" | | Joe Biden | Vice President of the United States, former Senator | Deceased, shot by an assassin. | Biden joined the Network, but left when a time travelling Master Chief told him the King was evil. He was elected Vice President of the United States, but then sacrificed himself to a Network assassin as a distraction to let the other heroes escape the Network. |} Some confusion surrounded Biden, John McCain, and Sarah Palin regarding their allegiances. It was later confirmed in a blog post that Biden was a member but left and that McCain and Palin were not members but pawns. Hillary Clinton's status as a member of the Network was unclear as she acts antagonizing to them and even strikes off on her own at one point; but the Arbiter later says that "Hillary and the rest of the Network" went through the portal, which, if his grammar is taken literally, means that she is a member. However, a blog post clarified that Hillary is not a Network member, and this becomes apparent when she abruptly begins going against the King again at the end of season 2. Category:Master Chief Sucks at Ordering